Hello. I am requesting help finding system stability by adjusting timings/voltages in BIOS. Below is a list of the hardware in my system, and the history/symptoms of my problem.
I have this same post on the G-Skill Forums because I believe the issue is memory-related, but nobody has responded (Posted 5 days before this post). (http://www.gskill.us/forum/showthread.php?t=12651)
AMD Phenom II x4 965 3.4ghz
12 GB RAM
1 TB HDD
GeForce GTX 550Ti 1GB
Windows 7 64-bit
F3-12800CL9Q-16GBRL + ASUS M4A87TD/USB3 + AMD Phenom II X4 965
[Main Hardware]
Power Supply
OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017
Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131651
Processor
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727
Memory
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9Q-16GBRL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231315
Video Card
EVGA 01G-P3-1556-KR GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) FPB 1GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130625
Hard Drive
Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697
[Additional Hardware]
Computer Case
LIAN LI PC-A05B Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112130
DVD Drive
LG 22X Super-Multi DVD Burner 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model GH22NS90B - Retail - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136240
Fan Controller
Scythe Kaze Master Pro 5.25 Fan Controller
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811998077
PCI Slot Fan
Vantec Spectrum Fan Card with Dual 70mm Adjustable UV LED Fans - Model SP-FC70-BL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835888112
CPU Cooler
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible with Intel 1366/1155/775 and AMD FM1/FM2/AM3+
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
___
Backstory
I purchased this computer 3/25/12 from Newegg (items that were purchased at separate times: case, internal fans, pci slot fan, fan controller). Mainly the issues I've been having revolve around system stability and random system crashing.
The problem was intermittent for such a long time (and I was in college) so I never bothered to get my system rock-solid stable. I've been able to get by for about 14 months without serious issues, but now the problem seems to have gotten worse. Initially my system would crash (as in the computer would restart itself and/or shut down) after 4-6 hours of gaming. I was playing a lot of Star Wars: The Old Republic at the time, if that matters. So I troubleshoot online (read: Googling), and my feedback is that it's most likely heat-related (In the reviews of my GPU people recommend having software-automated fan control for proper cooling). My GPU is rated at 100° C max on the NVIDIA site (http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-550ti/specifications), but it reaches upwards of about 80-85°C during heavy gaming. Now--my Lian Li case's airflow design is reversed from the traditional design (intake fan in the lower back, exhaust fan in the lower front) so the areas around my GPU tend to become a pocket for heat. Also the front of the case has very few vents for exhausting heat. So at this point I'm convinced that the random shut-downs must somehow be heat related. I did several things to correct this: Added the pci slot fan above the GPU, added another fan onto my CPU cooler, and cut a 120mm blowhole out of the front of the case. So for heat control I have four 120mm fans, the pci slot fans, and the fan controller. She's one windy beast with the fans fully cranked. Idle temperatures for my GPU are 35°C and for my CPU 38°. Peak stress-temperatures reach 75-80°C for my GPU and 50°C for my CPU. I had been really busy with school so for a time I didn't know if the problems disappeared. Fast forward a few months.
So I've owned the computer for about 18 months now, and it seems pretty clear that the problem is not heat related. Also, instead of random shutdowns or restarts nowadays, my system crashes and the screen goes black (but the computer stays powered-up). Sometimes, my GPU fan will kick into full throttle during these crashes. I have to hold the power button and hard reset. Unfortunately, the memory is not on my motherboard's qualified vendor list (Located here: http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/M4A87TDUSB3/#support_QVL).
Also, my motherboard has been unwilling to boot lately with 16 GB of ram installed. I'm fairly certain I used to have 16GB installed, but took 1 stick out several months ago while troubleshooting and now I am running 12GB. At first I attributed this to the motherboard's stinginess (in this mobo's reviews on Newegg, people pointed out difficulties in running 16GB). But now, I think my DIMM slot number 2 is somehow broken. Currently DIMM slots 1,3, and 4 are filled. I have tried booting with just 1 stick of ram in DIMM 2, and with 2 sticks of ram in DIMM 2 and 4. I've also tried using MemOK to help detect boot settings unsuccessfully. I just can't seem to POST using DIMM slot 2 at all. Maybe that's obvious indication that my motherboard is failing and that it's likely having issues elsewhere. I don't know.
It seems like, at times, I can stress my computer without issue and without crashes, but at other times the system will crash not long after booting up a game or watching a movie on Netflix.
Troubleshooting that I've done:
--BIOS update (I already have the latest version)
--Followed the memory timings for black edition CPU using this sticky in the AMD BIOS settings forum (http://www.gskill.us/forum/showthread.php?t=7688). I've also tried the DDR3-1333 settings ("Fail-safe defaults") with the same issues.
--Swapped the 6-pin GPU power connector
--Run ChkDsk without problems
--Run Memtest on all 4 sticks of ram individually (in DIMM slot 1) without errors
--Run Memtest on 3 sticks together (inserted in DIMM slots 1,3,4) without errors
--Run Memtest on 2 sticks (inserted in DIMM slots 1,3) without errors
--Run Prime95 "Small FFTs" for 8 hours without crash
--Run Prime95 "Blend" for 12 hours without crash
--Run Furmark GPU Stress Test - fullscreen, 1920x1080 4x MSAA Burn-in test for 30 minutes without crash
Ways to force a crash:
--Run Prime95 "Large FFTs" for 6 hours until crash
--Playing any graphics-intensive game. Sometimes the system will crash in 20 minutes, other times in 2 hours under the same timings/voltages. Very random.
--Tried my on-board MemOK button to auto-detect fail-safe defaults (sets my memory timings as 11-11-11-28-2T). My system froze several times in BIOS, and also while loading Windows)
--Tried running Memtest with BIOS fail-safe defaults (everything is on auto--crashes very frequently without manually entering RAM timings)
I've attached photos of my BIOS to help guide the process of finding the correct timings (and sharing other BIOS settings just in case).
My computer is usually stable if I'm doing nothing but web browsing or word processing. But it has crashed several times while watching Netflix or while using Adobe Photoshop. Unfortunately I don't have a spare PSU, GPU, or other computer to swap components but am willing to RMA if possible. I'm also willing to buy new hardware if it means testing/fixing the problem.
Sorry for the long post. Very frustrating. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. Thank you for your time.
____
Update:
I decided I was fed up and started increasing voltages in BIOS, because I noticed that my 'CPUVCORE' value (currently set at 1.60 in BIOS) fluctuates, according to CPUID Hardware Monitor. The value changed under heavier load (monitored while playing Witcher 2). It would fluctuate from 1.52-1.58 v. And you can see that BIOS only says it's at 1.56 v despite my settings.
Settings changed:
HT Link Speed -- Adjusted from 2400 MHz to AUTO
HT Voltage -- Adjusted from AUTO to 1.30 v (BIOS allows a range of 1.2-1.4 v)
NB Voltage -- Adjusted from AUTO to 1.20 v (BIOS allows a range of 1.10-1.25 v)
I've been playing video games for about 4 hours today, without any issues so far.. but I will keep updating.
Should I keep my voltages like this if I don't have any problems or will it diminish my hardware or cause other problems?
____
Update # 2:
The problem--system crashes (monitor goes black) and GPU fan acceleration to full speed--persists. For the past few days I've been playing a lot of The Witcher 2, and about every 4-6 hours my computer will crash. I don't continually get crashes after I hard reset, though, so I maintain that the crashing isn't a product of excessive heat in my case.
Unresolved Issues:
--Improper timings/voltages for stable operation
--DIMM slot 2 in MOBO is inoperable
--Potential long-term damage/instability to components for above-average increases in voltages remains a concern
--Consideration of RMA'ing my MOBO
Because my computer is "more stable" since my increased HT and NB voltages, I'm going to try underclocking my RAM following the guide (http://www.gskill.us/forum/showthread.php?t=7688).
I changed my CPU-NB Frequency to 2000 MHz, my DRAM frequency to 1333 MHz, and my RAM timings to 8-8-8-24-2N
(previous settings: CPU-NB Frequency: 2400Mhz, DRAM 1600, 9-9-9-24-2N)
I will keep updating this thread... If anybody has any suggestions or advice, please share.
__
Update #3
No luck with changing my settings -- same problem. I reverted back ( CPU-NB Frequency: 2400Mhz, DRAM 1600, 9-9-9-24-2N )
Also--today I purchased a new power supply and swapped my current one out just to rule it out... same issues occurring. So no luck there.
(updates continued below)
I have this same post on the G-Skill Forums because I believe the issue is memory-related, but nobody has responded (Posted 5 days before this post). (http://www.gskill.us/forum/showthread.php?t=12651)
AMD Phenom II x4 965 3.4ghz
12 GB RAM
1 TB HDD
GeForce GTX 550Ti 1GB
Windows 7 64-bit
F3-12800CL9Q-16GBRL + ASUS M4A87TD/USB3 + AMD Phenom II X4 965
[Main Hardware]
Power Supply
OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017
Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131651
Processor
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727
Memory
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9Q-16GBRL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231315
Video Card
EVGA 01G-P3-1556-KR GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) FPB 1GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130625
Hard Drive
Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697
[Additional Hardware]
Computer Case
LIAN LI PC-A05B Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112130
DVD Drive
LG 22X Super-Multi DVD Burner 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model GH22NS90B - Retail - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136240
Fan Controller
Scythe Kaze Master Pro 5.25 Fan Controller
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811998077
PCI Slot Fan
Vantec Spectrum Fan Card with Dual 70mm Adjustable UV LED Fans - Model SP-FC70-BL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835888112
CPU Cooler
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible with Intel 1366/1155/775 and AMD FM1/FM2/AM3+
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
___
Backstory
I purchased this computer 3/25/12 from Newegg (items that were purchased at separate times: case, internal fans, pci slot fan, fan controller). Mainly the issues I've been having revolve around system stability and random system crashing.
The problem was intermittent for such a long time (and I was in college) so I never bothered to get my system rock-solid stable. I've been able to get by for about 14 months without serious issues, but now the problem seems to have gotten worse. Initially my system would crash (as in the computer would restart itself and/or shut down) after 4-6 hours of gaming. I was playing a lot of Star Wars: The Old Republic at the time, if that matters. So I troubleshoot online (read: Googling), and my feedback is that it's most likely heat-related (In the reviews of my GPU people recommend having software-automated fan control for proper cooling). My GPU is rated at 100° C max on the NVIDIA site (http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-550ti/specifications), but it reaches upwards of about 80-85°C during heavy gaming. Now--my Lian Li case's airflow design is reversed from the traditional design (intake fan in the lower back, exhaust fan in the lower front) so the areas around my GPU tend to become a pocket for heat. Also the front of the case has very few vents for exhausting heat. So at this point I'm convinced that the random shut-downs must somehow be heat related. I did several things to correct this: Added the pci slot fan above the GPU, added another fan onto my CPU cooler, and cut a 120mm blowhole out of the front of the case. So for heat control I have four 120mm fans, the pci slot fans, and the fan controller. She's one windy beast with the fans fully cranked. Idle temperatures for my GPU are 35°C and for my CPU 38°. Peak stress-temperatures reach 75-80°C for my GPU and 50°C for my CPU. I had been really busy with school so for a time I didn't know if the problems disappeared. Fast forward a few months.
So I've owned the computer for about 18 months now, and it seems pretty clear that the problem is not heat related. Also, instead of random shutdowns or restarts nowadays, my system crashes and the screen goes black (but the computer stays powered-up). Sometimes, my GPU fan will kick into full throttle during these crashes. I have to hold the power button and hard reset. Unfortunately, the memory is not on my motherboard's qualified vendor list (Located here: http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/M4A87TDUSB3/#support_QVL).
Also, my motherboard has been unwilling to boot lately with 16 GB of ram installed. I'm fairly certain I used to have 16GB installed, but took 1 stick out several months ago while troubleshooting and now I am running 12GB. At first I attributed this to the motherboard's stinginess (in this mobo's reviews on Newegg, people pointed out difficulties in running 16GB). But now, I think my DIMM slot number 2 is somehow broken. Currently DIMM slots 1,3, and 4 are filled. I have tried booting with just 1 stick of ram in DIMM 2, and with 2 sticks of ram in DIMM 2 and 4. I've also tried using MemOK to help detect boot settings unsuccessfully. I just can't seem to POST using DIMM slot 2 at all. Maybe that's obvious indication that my motherboard is failing and that it's likely having issues elsewhere. I don't know.
It seems like, at times, I can stress my computer without issue and without crashes, but at other times the system will crash not long after booting up a game or watching a movie on Netflix.
Troubleshooting that I've done:
--BIOS update (I already have the latest version)
--Followed the memory timings for black edition CPU using this sticky in the AMD BIOS settings forum (http://www.gskill.us/forum/showthread.php?t=7688). I've also tried the DDR3-1333 settings ("Fail-safe defaults") with the same issues.
--Swapped the 6-pin GPU power connector
--Run ChkDsk without problems
--Run Memtest on all 4 sticks of ram individually (in DIMM slot 1) without errors
--Run Memtest on 3 sticks together (inserted in DIMM slots 1,3,4) without errors
--Run Memtest on 2 sticks (inserted in DIMM slots 1,3) without errors
--Run Prime95 "Small FFTs" for 8 hours without crash
--Run Prime95 "Blend" for 12 hours without crash
--Run Furmark GPU Stress Test - fullscreen, 1920x1080 4x MSAA Burn-in test for 30 minutes without crash
Ways to force a crash:
--Run Prime95 "Large FFTs" for 6 hours until crash
--Playing any graphics-intensive game. Sometimes the system will crash in 20 minutes, other times in 2 hours under the same timings/voltages. Very random.
--Tried my on-board MemOK button to auto-detect fail-safe defaults (sets my memory timings as 11-11-11-28-2T). My system froze several times in BIOS, and also while loading Windows)
--Tried running Memtest with BIOS fail-safe defaults (everything is on auto--crashes very frequently without manually entering RAM timings)
I've attached photos of my BIOS to help guide the process of finding the correct timings (and sharing other BIOS settings just in case).
My computer is usually stable if I'm doing nothing but web browsing or word processing. But it has crashed several times while watching Netflix or while using Adobe Photoshop. Unfortunately I don't have a spare PSU, GPU, or other computer to swap components but am willing to RMA if possible. I'm also willing to buy new hardware if it means testing/fixing the problem.
Sorry for the long post. Very frustrating. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. Thank you for your time.
____
Update:
I decided I was fed up and started increasing voltages in BIOS, because I noticed that my 'CPUVCORE' value (currently set at 1.60 in BIOS) fluctuates, according to CPUID Hardware Monitor. The value changed under heavier load (monitored while playing Witcher 2). It would fluctuate from 1.52-1.58 v. And you can see that BIOS only says it's at 1.56 v despite my settings.
Settings changed:
HT Link Speed -- Adjusted from 2400 MHz to AUTO
HT Voltage -- Adjusted from AUTO to 1.30 v (BIOS allows a range of 1.2-1.4 v)
NB Voltage -- Adjusted from AUTO to 1.20 v (BIOS allows a range of 1.10-1.25 v)
I've been playing video games for about 4 hours today, without any issues so far.. but I will keep updating.
Should I keep my voltages like this if I don't have any problems or will it diminish my hardware or cause other problems?
____
Update # 2:
The problem--system crashes (monitor goes black) and GPU fan acceleration to full speed--persists. For the past few days I've been playing a lot of The Witcher 2, and about every 4-6 hours my computer will crash. I don't continually get crashes after I hard reset, though, so I maintain that the crashing isn't a product of excessive heat in my case.
Unresolved Issues:
--Improper timings/voltages for stable operation
--DIMM slot 2 in MOBO is inoperable
--Potential long-term damage/instability to components for above-average increases in voltages remains a concern
--Consideration of RMA'ing my MOBO
Because my computer is "more stable" since my increased HT and NB voltages, I'm going to try underclocking my RAM following the guide (http://www.gskill.us/forum/showthread.php?t=7688).
I changed my CPU-NB Frequency to 2000 MHz, my DRAM frequency to 1333 MHz, and my RAM timings to 8-8-8-24-2N
(previous settings: CPU-NB Frequency: 2400Mhz, DRAM 1600, 9-9-9-24-2N)
I will keep updating this thread... If anybody has any suggestions or advice, please share.
__
Update #3
No luck with changing my settings -- same problem. I reverted back ( CPU-NB Frequency: 2400Mhz, DRAM 1600, 9-9-9-24-2N )
Also--today I purchased a new power supply and swapped my current one out just to rule it out... same issues occurring. So no luck there.
(updates continued below)
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